TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews Guy(Quaid, transforming from someone on the brink of being completely desensitized, to regaining his humanity - something that is hard to come by, in these circumstances; note he's the only "name" in this with a large role) has to choose between two lives: his buddy and the very pregnant Vera(Ninkovic, doing incredible, much of her performance without words). He turns his back on the French foreign legion, and makes it his mission to keep the mother and her infant alive. This is all in the middle of the battles in Bosnia, where even children civilians may be targeted. How can they possibly make it?This is among the best anti-war films, up there with both versions, 1930 and 1979, of All Quiet On The Western Front. It is brutally honest about the numerous atrocities of the conflict, including the fact that both sides took part in them - this does not take sides, nor does it paint anyone as good or evil. The rape of the enemy's women, leading to them getting cut off by their family, the mass executions and the sheer random luck of it all. It uses powerful contrasts, such as life and death. It's no wonder that Oliver Stone produced this, otherwise leaving the work largely to those from the region. This is mostly silent in the middle, and does not subtitle the non-English spoken unless one of the Westerners understands it, making it all the more effectively alienating. The 96 minute running time, or 99 with credits, is gripping, with many sequences of tension.There is a lot of disturbing, violent content throughout this, and you will need time afterwards to calm back down. The DVD comes with interviews with Dennis Quaid(2 minutes) and Stellan Skarsgard(3 minutes), and trailers for Halloween H20, The Big Lebowski and 54. I recommend this to anyone who can handle it. 8/10

santasa99 Obviously ant-war film can suck as well. Also, I suppose that Hitler, if lived long enough, God forbid, would ordered one just like this - where all sides are equally bad, where Jews are equally wrong & equally responsible - well equally my @ss. What's more cynical then moral equalization between victim & executioner, that seek to whitewash reality of war & crime itself, while rewriting history using apologia & ambiguities. I will admit, though, Stone made a good decision when he sent his script to Belgrade based director. Story goes, he noticed him for his "eye & photography" earlier. Indeed, film is visually beautiful & moody - that's about all that is good about it.At the beginning of this propaganda flick viewers are immediately introduced to common Islamophobic trope, so prevalent in todays political and media discourse: it paint adherents of Islam with a one broad brush, regardless of their race, ethnicity & cultural background - basically, Muslim here is absolutely identical faceless other to Muslim anywhere and everywhere. Because of Islam, you see. Islam is supposedly so inherently evil, so corrupt, that it turns persons into clones of each other, into some sort of zombies. So, without any background elaboration, viewer is lead to accept that main character logic isn't flawed, although his action upon that logic might be wrong, that is when he connect act of terrorism committed by people from the other side of the planet to people of Kosovo and Bosnia, of course only because both people happened to be Muslims - and so he decides to take revenge on them. Some viewer will react with rejection of his actions but only because it's a revenge, and revenge is bad, while much lesser number will reject it because entire logic is actually absolutely flawed - this connection between terrorists and Bosnians is still bogus, no matter how perfidious and cunning is the attempt to inject it into film's narrative. It's a deliberate framing of Muslims (all & everywhere): on screen Bosnians are equally evil if not worse as those terrorists them self. From here underlying moral equalization spews and gets worse with every frame.Some noticed how others complained of possible (certain) pro-Serbian bias. They ask why, & say don't get it. Others try to explain how filmmakers meant ant-war-this, ant-vendetta-that. As one reviewer writes even if it carries pro-Serbian bias, as long as we see one Serb is sadist, all is OK. He writes: "Inevitably, some have accused Saviour of bias, though an American film, the director is a Serb...; with such emotive subject partiality would hardly be surprising. Indeed, the film does not flinch from discussing atrocities committed by Bosnian Muslims. Those who accuse this film of being pro-Serb, however, should consider that one of the most hateful characters in the whole film,...is himself a Serb." Another: "I am surprised & saddened that there are still some folks here at the forum fighting over its anti/pro Muslim/Serbian credentials. There is no winner in any war - only despair & death & at times, a faint glimmer of hope." Reading through comments you will hardly be able to draw that conclusion. Actually, most (re)viewers thinks exactly what I said before: everyone are equally bad & responsible. And that's what this film makes a propaganda. One reviewer said "you don't hate Serbs, Croatians or Bosnians, you hate war". Of course we hate war, & little by little we think everyone is equally responsible for its beginning, all suffered equally, civilians on both sides were stricken equally by its horrors - so it must be all sides are equally potent, bad & responsible! Well that's utter bs. It's an arrogant & dishonest attempt to rewrite history & make an apologia for Serbian aggression on Bosnia, while blaming the victim. It's disgusting effort to invoke bogus debate, while whitewashing and justifying ethnic cleansing, & legitimizing persistent Bosnian genocide denial.More comments revealing impression obtained upon deceitful subtext & bogus pretense of making ant-war film, which both thrives on faulty perception based on ignorance (few books on Bosnia would do a miracle): "10/10'tijuanadonkey', USA, Best movie on the subject so far, 2006 Unlike many that take sides & immediately turn off this is one I could recommend... No one here is a good guy, in fact everyone is bad to a degree, especially when you understand who everyone is... nothing good came out of a war that destroyed a beautiful nation & turned brother vs. brother in the name of fighting ethnic war from ancient history."; or "Michael Markham, UK, Brilliant, 2002 I agree with other reviewers...extraordinary movie. I worried about the apparent American slant at the beginning...I saw it with a Bosnian Muslim friend (even though he was the bad guys in the movie) he was also deeply moved. Clearly the horror & cruelty was on both sides."; or "9/10 Raegan Butcher, USA, Some people have claimed this is a racist film. I do not see it that way. This film shows everyone in a bad light."Bizarre! Moral equalization of victim & executioner - that's an ultimate bs., a brazen abuse of art. It's an arrogant & dishonest attempt to rewrite history & make an apologia for Serbian genocide, while blaming the victim. It's an effort to invoke bogus debate where there is non. Serbian media take this goal seriously & as extremely important. Find more about nature of Bosnian War, what, how & why it happened in books by prominent UK & US historian scholars like Marko Attila Hoare, Noel Malcolm, Robert Donia, John A.V. Fine Jr. & others. For anti-war film based on Bosnian war try "Welcome to Sarajevo" & "No Man's Land"; for anti-war film in general "The 25th Hour"!

Tinku Of the best of movies I've ever watched. The only movie thats ever made me cry... Must watch, though not a Hollywood movie ! Needs a bit of patience too, though, trust me its simply worth it. Starts with a demoted soldier, doing sorta soul searching. And then he's involved with this baby and woman in the Bosnian civil war. To start with, the baby's just a nuisance to them, then he's influenced and finally greatly moved. He fights odds to get the baby and the mother out alive. Towards the end, the mother sacrifices her life for the baby. This one scene is worth a hundred "Pianists" ! .......................................

eject_hunter i have seen many many movie in my life about war and human atrocities but i have never before seen anything like this it was a memorable experience and i have already recommended lots of my friends to watch the movie. the good thing about this movie is that it show both sides of the story and really tells that is not religion, ethnicity but our own will which makes and destroys.this movie is a real eye opener, its one of those movies that really should be distributed for free just for the sake of humanity and i have personally already donated 2 copies of this to my nearest libraries, i highly recommend you watch it. i hope there were more movies like these so at least we could give some education to the coming generations